Concealment
by ImagineBagginsDragon
Summary: Loki, in an effort to hide from Thanos's murderous vendetta, accidentally discovers a certain Avenger's attraction to him and manipulates his way into protection from the universe's biggest and baddest psychopath. Mpreg because let's be real I'm a weird person, and I'm gonna chalk OOCness up to hormones.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: there will be sex stuff, there will be swearing, there will be angst, there will be mpreg, and there will be blood. Enjoy if you're into that shit**_

 _"You cannot hide from me, boy. I will always find you, and you will die a slow and torturous death."_

Loki's gaze followed the Stark Tower for the entirety of its length.

He gulped in the characteristically polluted air of New York City with distaste, cloaked himself in transparency, and snuck right in the front door.

This was the last place on Earth he wanted to hide, but it was the last place Thanos would expect, and thus he was safer there.

The security seemed tight; S.H.I.E.L.D agents milled about, and JARVIS spoke with a strawberry blonde woman in the lobby in a pencil skirt.

He slipped past them, rolling his eyes at comments about the 'ballsack-freezing' temperature Tony insisted on keeping to encourage the exchange of body heat.

He trekked up the many flights of stairs, careful to avoid physical contact with anyone on his way up, poking his head through the door every couple levels and looking for the Avengers' housing floor.

It turned out eventually that everyone had their own floor, which presented numerous choices for his temporary residence.

Tony's floor was nice if a bit lavish, but the bedroom was littered with strange metallic objects and thus too messy.

Loki didn't want to bunk with either Clint or Natasha; they might not have been gods, but an arrow through the eyeball wasn't worth it.

Bruce's room held promise, but it smelled suspiciously of cannabis and eukalyptus. Loki was just as susceptible to them, and more likely to reveal himself if Dr. Banner decided to light up.

Thor's room... he didn't want to run the risk of running into the boorish lout, so it was off-limits.

So he was left with the soldier, Captain America.

The man was hardly on his floor anyway, whether it be due to destroying punching bags or running around New York, or reporting to S.H.I.E.L.D about do-gooder nonsense.

So Loki hid in the corner of Steve's bedroom, content to nap for a time, visible in the dark corner until the owner returned.

Ultimately, he knew his magic couldn't sustain him forever, but he'd make the most of it until then.

Eventually, the Avenger returned (from a run, it seemed), his sweaty and muscular chest heaving.

Loki smirked from his transparent perch appreciatively, not even irate from having been woken up.

He'd been able to see how powerful the man was when they'd fought in Stuttgart, but then again Steve wasn't shirtless then, as he was quickly becoming.

He admired the perfectly proportioned and toned body silently in his corner, and watched with deepening interest as the capeless crusader slipped out of his pants, leaving him in navy blue boxers.

And, Odin be damned, the man had a manhood to be reckoned with.

Loki's throat dried and he swallowed harshly at the sight, even when it was concealed by blue cloth.

It was quite obvious that some of its immensity was left to the imagination, so Loki gaped incredulously at it.

He watched, enraptured as Steve disappeared, and emerged after showering for a time.

For some reason, the Avenger wore shame on his face, a blush spread across his neck and cheeks.

Loki continued to follow his movements, beginning to perspire ever so slightly and heat pooling in his groin.

Steve slunk across the bed like a panther, muscles gliding beneath his dew-dropped skin.

Then he slid from his boxers, and Loki felt his cock stir in its prison.

He seated himself, legs spread, and awkwardly began to stroke himself.

He was obviously a virgin, and probably found masturbation shameful.

It was almost painful for Loki to watch as Steve inelegantly and stiffly touched himself.

Loki was about to attempt to leave quietly, when mid-movement, Steve uttered a cry.

"Loki..."

No wonder he was ashamed; he had lusted after the very god who'd nearly razed New York to the ground.

With that, Loki took the cry as permission granted, flung his clothes to the floor, and vaulted onto the bed voraciously.

He slowly transitioned to visibility so as not to startle the man, and hovered above him, a lecherous and benevolent smile plastered across his face.

Steve appeared startled, but not afraid, and didn't call out, Odin bless him.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked, bemused.

"Yes."

Captain America appeared distressed. "I shouldn't want you," he breathed.

"I take it that the 40's weren't kind to homosexuals," Loki opined, snorting.

Steve grimaced a bit at that. "The ostracism was unsurvivable. But it isn't just that; you killed so many people."

"Relax. You're dreaming."

"I can't face my friends now, you know."

"Well, I am quite adamant that none should be denied their desires within reason," Loki bantered, gleeful that he could manipulate the spangled man into sharing his living space. "And besides, it's quite important that you don't deny yourself what your spirit needs."

"On Earth we say 'what the heart wants'."

"And on Asgard we have access to the galaxy and magic and we are far more advanced technologically."

"I'm not going to say Asgard is better."

"I didn't expect such treason from a patriot of Midgard."

Steve's cock was softening.

"I think we've spoken enough," Loki purred.

He raised an elegant hand to caress Steve's face.

"This feels real."

"It will feel real for a long time coming," the Asgardian promised.

Steve responded to his chilly touch with a soft moan.

Loki smiled, straddling him and leaning down to lap up sweat that had collected on his collarbone.

Captain America began to protest halfheartedly, but Loki cut him off. "Hush. This isn't the 40's, Steven. Allow me."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: This is short. Sorry, but it's mostly to bridge things together. Besides I wanted to update for my wonderful readers**_

A good portion of the week went by uniformly.

Loki routinely snuck food from the kitchen on Steve's floor, snacked on whatever it was from the safety of the closet, waited for Steve's return, emerged only to engage in hard, powerful sex that roughened over time, fell asleep, invisible in the closet, and the cycle would begin anew.

That was, until about five days after the god's arrival.

The floors and celings were thick enough to be quite soundproof, but unbeknownst to Loki, the Avengers came to Steve often to vent; Steve humored them all.

In fact, they'd been lucky to have been uninterrupted thus far.

Steve had returned to Loki in the evening, glistening with dew as usual and smiling affectionately as they joint their flesh again, the god hanging on for dear life and burying his face in the nape of the Midgardian's neck.

As they neared the crescendo of their festivities, a click was heard, and in a moment, Loki glamoured himself into a woman with many similar features, and Clint Barton graced the room with his awkward presence.

The lovers paused mid-thrust, staring up at Hawkeye with startled blue and green eyes, and the Avenger, now flushed red, fled and slammed the door, muttering crude cuss words.

Steve looked back down at Loki, watching the glamour vanish, his gaze confused as all hell.

"Shh, it's just a dream," he reassured him, cupping his face with an elegant, elongated hand.

Steve seemed satisfied with that response, at least mildly so, enough to finish what he'd begun.

As the end of the night reared its head, Loki felt uneasiness and guilt threaten to surface.

He didn't want to have to leave Steve, who he'd come to admire, or, dare he say it, miss when he was gone.

But now that Clint knew about their 'coupling', he and Steve would put two and two together and then indirectly join the hunt for him.

So he made the most of the night; he let himself be held, and he left a string of hickeys that began from Roger's lower ribs and trailed to the crest of the pectoral on the opposite side.

Unsuspecting, Steve obliged and held Loki close, nuzzling him.

In the dark, the weight of the world manifested like a prowling beast, waiting to pounce as soon as he left the warm, muscular embrace.

Dawn approached like a hurricane; it was unstoppable.

Reluctantly and trying to stifle the lump in his throat, Loki carefully disentangled himself, magicked some clothing on, glamoured his translucency back to its rightful place and left, with a backward glance at the man who he knew would come back to haunt him.

AVAVAV

Light filtered into the bedroom through the ridiculously large windows, gentle but growing harsher with intensity.

The blond man woke gradually, yawning and stretching.

He shuffled through his room, tugging on a tight but stretchy shirt, and pulling up a pair of pants that smelled familiar.

He ran a hand through his hair, and left his room for the kitchen.

He was surprised by Clint, who was eating singed eggs that he'd obviously made at the counter, eyeing Steve with amusement.

"Nice lay you had last night."

It came all in a rush.

Clint knew.

That meant that his relationship with the Asgardian had been real, painfully so.

It meant that he'd harbored (and banged) a wanted war criminal.

A war criminal for whom he also harbored affection.

Clint took his silence as embarassment at being caught.

"Aw, c'mon, Cap. It's nothing; bros walk in on each other sometimes."

Steve snapped out of his reverie. "I've never had that happen before."

"I could tell. Don't worry, man."

Captain America continued to look perturbed.

"Seriously, man, it happens. Are you okay?" Clint reiterated, concerned.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm okay," Steve replied, brow furrowed as he mussed up his hair.

"Don't take it so hard, man."

After toasting and eating a bagel, Steve returned to his bathroom, where he lifted up his shirt over his head and hung it over the door.

Across his chest like a belt lay a purpled stripe of love bites, shiny and fresh.

Guiltily, he snatched his shirt and yanked it back on.

He took a moment to breathe, gripping the sides of the sink, anxiety gnawing at his insides.

His face peered back at him, haunted.

He didn't know if he could forgive himself.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: Ever wonder why you never see a female Jotun**_ _ **? Anyway prepare your anuses for a Jotun bio lesson**_

"Steve?"

Slowly his eyes opened. He blinked a couple of times to attempt to adjust to the intensity of the light, and focused his attention in the direction of the voice.

Oh, crap.

He jolted, standing up.

He'd fallen asleep next to the global locator again.

"What are you doing here?" Natasha asked, peering past him at the machine.

It had begun to ping quietly a few days prior, and this was a special machine meant specifically for finding Loki.

Tony had paid for it and set it up completely, muttering insults that he wished fervently he could have voiced to Nick Fury and making IKEA jokes that Steve didn't understand.

As long as he wasn't killing people, Tony didn't care enough to find him.

"Um, I uh, heard it uh, making noises. That means it's finding Loki, right?" Steve attempted.

Natasha nodded. "The louder the noise, the more specific a location it gets."

Steve listened intently to the soft pings for a moment, the cogs turning in his head.

"Are you okay, Steve? You've been acting jumpy, and you avoid Clint. Did he do something? You know I'd hurt him if he did something to you."

The Avenger sighed. "It's nothing. Well, it's not nothing, but I'd just rather not talk about it."

Natasha nodded at that, and looked a bit disappointed at that, but held her tongue. "Well, talk to me if you change your mind."

Steve looked so relieved at her words that she nearly throttled him, but she left him alone with the machine, only to hear it begin to wail in earnest.

AVAVAV

Hulk having been left behind, the trek through the undergrowth was silent.

The Avengers approached the green-drenched house at different angles.

Clint perched in a tree, Tony positioned himself in the back to ensure he didn't escape, Natasha covered one side and Steve the other, whilst Thor demanded he get the opportunity to coax Loki out to the front.

The god approached the front door, almost swallowed by the vines that blanketed the roof and draped themselves over the siding.

He spoke quietly into his microphone, listening intently to his earpiece for confirmation.

"Good to go," Clint affirmed.

Thor planted himself a good fifteen feet from the front door, and boomed his intent. "Loki, come out. No harm will come to you."

"Yeah, right," Clint muttered.

There wasn't a response.

"Loki, I don't think you'd like being dragged out," Thor shouted.

"Maybe he would," Tony piped up, enthused.

The door creaked, the sound echoing into the woods.

From the depths emerged a pale hand, followed by another, raised so as not to provoke anyone.

"That's it, brother," Thor lowered his voice, a smile working his way across his face.

Behind the hands came the trickster, still in his green, black, and gold armor, but it seemed to hang from his frame.

Dark circles hung from beneath dull emerald eyes, and his cheekbones seemed sharper, jutting out further than Thor had ever seen.

He seemed ready to collapse.

Collapse he nearly did, except Thor rushed to him quickly and prevented it.

The Avengers all rushed to the front sans Clint, to form a semicircle around Thor and Loki.

The blond god raised a hand to Loki's forehead, large enough to cover its entirety and more, and uttered a cry of despair.

Tony's repulsors announced their awakening with a whine, and an arrow thunked a warning into a nearby tree trunk.

"Don't!" Thor snarled. "He's carrying a child!"

"Thor!" Loki snapped, glaring balefully at his brother.

Everyone froze as Loki hissed in irritation.

"What!?" Tony was the first to ask, his repulsors dying.

"Jotuns are an entirely male race. When they conceive, their body temperature lowers to prepare their offspring for the harsh temperatures on the Jotunheim. Loki was an outlier, his body temperature that of a humanoid. He feels freezing to the touch now," Thor explained, lifting his brother, who protested, in his arms.

Steve had, meanwhile, turned deathly pale at the implication.

"Why didn't you tell me, brother?" Thor scorned Loki gently.

"It wasn't your business," Loki growled.

"JARVIS, full-body scan on Loki," Tony ordered, dumbfounded.

JARVIS hummed in response.

All Steve could think about was the feel of Loki beneath him.

The sight of Loki's onyx hair splayed across the pillow.

The sensation of someone in his arms.

With that, Thor began walking back in the direction of the jet, his younger brother in tow.

Clint scrambled down the tree, and everyone numbly followed him.

The brothers bickered at each other.

"I would've helped you!"

"I don't need your charity," Loki spat.

"You look gaunt and you cannot be getting enough nourishment," Thor countered.

"It's the nausea. I have been getting enough," Loki retorted wearily.

"That doesn't change a thing. I will get you sustenance as soon as we reach Stark Tower."

Tony seemed to snap out of his stupor a moment. "Oh, hell no. I don't want him in my tower."

"As long as he's vulnerable I'd prefer it if you shared your living space. Traveling to Asgard or any other realm is inadvisable whilst carrying a child," Thor warned.

Tony sulked at that. "He killed people and you're letting him into my space?"

"No, Stark. You're letting him into your space," Thor ordered, peremptory.

Tony muttered curses under his breath.

"Sir?"

"Yes, JARVIS?" Tony huffed impatiently.

"Loki is indeed pregnant."

The silence that ensued was almost unbearable.

Clint appeared as though he couldn't wait to double over and laugh his lungs out, Tony groaned, and Natasha looked weirded out, yet fascinated.

"Who's the father?" Natasha voiced the question on everyone's minds.

Steve fainted.


	4. Chapter 4

Loki eyed the wide expanse of the rebuilding city of Manhattan with narrowed, wary eyes.

He thought of the look of pure bewilderment on Steve's face before he collapsed.

He thought of the burning curiosity on the Avengers' faces, and how Thor's arms tightened around him in an effort to shield him from their prying gazes.

The door opened behind him and he turned, snatching an empty glass to serve as a weapon.

Steve had barely a second to register the glass rocketing at his face before he could dodge it.

"Ow! Hey! I'm not here to hurt you!" Steve yelped as it shattered, pieces lodging themselves in his forearm.

"Then why have you come? You wouldn't have if it weren't for the damned brat," Loki grit out furiously.

Steve looked like a kicked puppy. "How can you say that? I would've been worried anyway, curious to know why and how you got into Stark Tower."

"It seems you don't recall the last time you interrogated me and how well that went."

Steve appeared wounded. "Loki, I just want to know why you were with me."

"Why ask the God of Lies for something so important?" Loki asked, words frostbitten.

"Because I trust you!" Steve yelled.

Loki had managed to tear the nightstand apart magically and the pieces hovered menacingly until Steve spoke.

"Why?" Loki looked stricken, like a 10 year old boy then, as if he'd been beaten vigorously and couldn't understand why.

The look was practiced, nothing new. Steve would have to look into it at some point.

Steve ventured closer. "Because you're just like anyone else. Because you want to be loved and accepted, because you're just as afraid, because you have the same needs like eating and breathing that I do. For some reason, you hid in my room and entrusted me with your safety. You didn't kill me."

"Quite an achievement. I didn't kill you in Stuttgart, or here, for that matter," Loki replied curtly, but his tone began to soften.

Steve took the opportunity to come within four feet of him.

"That was different. I was vulnerable, and I bared myself to you. You could've murdered me and no one would know."

The splintered wood chunks lowered to the floor.

"What a ringing endorsement," Loki said, tears stinging his eyes. "I didn't murder you and thus that's something to celebrate."

His shoulders began to tremble.

"Did the hours we talked mean nothing to you?" Steve asked, bravely walking closer still.

The tears escaped Loki's eyes and flowed down his face as he struggled not to sob. "They meant everything to me. It destroyed me, having to leave. You cared to know me when no one else dared. I didn't want it to end because when you woke there would be nothing to convince you to adore me or even like me still. I was selfish with you. I needed you."

He broke.

The tears turned into rivers coursing down his cheeks and soaking the cotton shirt someone had clothed him in, his shoulders heaved with sobs and attempted, shuddered breaths.

He would not, Steve noticed, touch him or seek comfort from him, so he opened his muscular arms and pulled Loki into a secure embrace.

"Even now, you're a dream, a wisp of smoke I cannot hope to hold onto," the god cried.

"I'm not gonna leave you alone, Loki. I'm not here to break you or insult you or lie to you," the blond man asserted.

Loki pulled away after a moment, and Steve relented, releasing him.

The god wiped furiously at his eyes, growling as though they'd betrayed him. "Why am I weeping? I never weep."

The dismay and grief that had soaked the air loosened, less serious at least for the moment, because he looked hilarious getting mad at his own emotions.

Then it hit Steve again.

"That'll be the hormones," he realized aloud.

Loki looked up sharply, startled, then back down at his still-flat abdomen, and finally back up at Steve.

"Do you..." Loki began uncertainly. "...want it?"

The question hung in the air.

Disappointment and shame crept across Loki's face as he gauged Steve's reaction.

"I don't want it to go unloved. Do you?"

"I want it," the god decided, back straightening, reddened eyes narrowed and shoulders squared as though he was prepared to fight Steve on it.

The chunks of wood floated again, close to the ground.

"I'd be happy to raise it with you, then," Steve replied, hands raised cautiously.

The wood pieces hit the floor again.

"Good. How rich is the tin man?"

Steve was speechless for a moment at the dramatic mood swing. "Very, why?"

"Let him prove it. I require food."

LLSRLLSRLLSR

The Avengers minus Thor were quite surprised when Steve exited the elevator with Loki behind him.

Tony looked slightly pissed.

"What? He wanted food," Steve said.

Loki followed him into the kitchen, and leaned against the counter behind him quietly.

"Hey, uh, do you have any of those microwavable ramen cups? I think anything more complicated would piss him off," Captain Rogers asked as he dug through a cabinet.

"Go simpler. Those cups are for Banner when he gets the munchies," Tony warned.

"Or for Thor when he doesn't mind the Hulk beating his ass," Natasha added.

"Why'd you let him loose, Cap?" Clint growled.

"He won't escape or kill somebody, I think," Steve replied confidently, as he brandished a butter knife to make a sandwich.

"Dude, he destroyed New York!" Clint protested.

"He also mind-controlled people, and let aliens invade," Bruce agreed.

"He's not safe anywhere but here, right?" Tony spoke up reluctantly.

Everyone stared at him.

"Anyone who watches the news would try to kill him, and the person who hired him to do the hit on Earth probably knows he failed."

Loki winced visibly, which didn't escape Steve's notice.

He set down the peanut butter sandwich. "Is he right?"

The god nodded. "Thanos is after me."


	5. Chapter 5

The next week was spent arguing.

Clint wanted Loki gone ("He's compromising our safety!"), and Tony wasn't very happy about it either, but was willing to keep him because he didn't want to face Pepper's fury if he kicked out the pregnant god.

Bruce seemed happy enough to give Loki a second chance, and Nat was reluctant because of how he'd mind-controlled Clint, but she wasn't going to complain about it.

Mostly Clint argued with Tony and Steve while Loki was left to awkwardly socialize with Bruce.

"I'm showing him mercy by not kicking his ass," Clint growled, arms crossed.

"Katniss, we all get you're mad about it but Fury can't even do anything about it either," Tony pointed out.

"I think the government would be relieved if another mass-murderer was gone," Clint countered.

Steve flinched. "He hasn't killed any of us, Clint. I think that counts towards something. If he does, then we talk about this again, but this is nuts to talk about right now."

Hawkeye turned on him. "Why are you so accepting of him? All week you've been fussing over him."

"Because he needs care! He was underweight and dehydrated!" Steve insisted.

"Not to mention knocked up," Tony reminded the archer.

"How do we even know that he really is for sure? We took the word of Thor. We all know sometimes he doesn't know what's going on," Clint replied.

"JARVIS confirmed it," Tony protested.

"How do we know?"

Everyone looked over at Loki, who was talking to Bruce about the wonders of cannabis.

"The Other Guy hasn't been around for a while. I haven't really needed his help with anything, and I've been pretty calm thus far," Bruce spoke animatedly.

Loki noticed the stares first. "What?"

"How far along are you, Reindeer Games?" Tony asked.

At that precise moment Thor burst into the room, triumphantly holding a coffee cup and a bag of shirts and sweatpants.

He ignored the crowd around his brother and forced through to Loki. "Brother, I return from battle with some clothes for you."

He stopped a bit short. "How is my niece or nephew? They're growing, I see."

Loki covered his abdomen, face flushing. "It's fine, Thor."

"How do we know for certain that he's pregnant?" Clint demanded.

Thor yanked Loki up from his seat violently and enthusiastically, pushed him forth, and pulled up his shirt.

Loki's face flushed with rage.

All the Avengers stared unblinkingly at his stomach, as Thor held his arms captive.

"There's a bump. So what," Natasha said, shrugged, and sipped at her mimosa.

"Could be anything," Clint decided, unimpressed.

"JARVIS, project hologram of an abdominal scan on Loki," Tony ordered, sympathetic towards the embarrassed and pissed god.

JARVIS obeyed, a light scanning Loki before projecting a 3-D image of his findings.

Two clumps of cells with umbilical cords, tails, and forming hands.

"Twins," Thor commented jovially.

"Are you done being insensitive?" Loki snarled at Clint viciously.

Clint looked stunned.

"Did the scan harm them?" Loki turned from Hawkeye to talk to Tony.

"No, they're fine," the Stark reassured him.

With that, the god left.

"Two lives can't replace the hundreds he murdered," Clint spoke up wearily after a time.

"No, they can't, but it's no use condemning three more," Steve stated, the beginnings of protective frustration coming across in his posture and expression.

"He'll get us killed, Cap. That asshole he upset is the universe's biggest and baddest psychopath."

"I believe in something called redemption, Clint. He may never be able to bring back what he cost us but he can help make up for it. He owes us and he won't break our trust. He also happens to know this psychopath, so maybe we can get the upper hand. This is home turf, after all."

"This isn't World War II! Why are you fighting so hard for him? He was the enemy just three months ago!" Clint shouted.

"They're my kids!" Steve yelled back.


	6. Chapter 6

"What do you mean, they're _your_ kids?" Clint said suspiciously. "Holy fucking shit, I walked in on you!" Tony almost failed to stifle maniacal, terribly amused laughter.

"Well, when a man and another man alien love each other ver-" "Shut the fuck up, Tony," Natasha stopped him quickly.

"That's way past 'you fucked up'. Did he trick you?"

Loki looked away.

"No, he didn't. Everything that happened was meant to happen and happened for a goddamned reason," Steve spoke, irate.

Clint quieted for a moment. "I can't say that I'm happy about this, Cap. He'd better be good and stay good."

He left, Natasha following him.

* * *

Loki moved back in with Steve secretly, lithe frame flush against the super soldier's solid, muscled chest.

The god insisted he wasn't hiding, but he was unwilling to socialize with the exception of Bruce (and Steve).

"As much as I appreciate your company, it'd be nice if you talked to someone other than Dr. Banner," Steve spoke on the fourth night in a row of such.

"They don't want to converse with a compulsive liar," the god drawled bitterly, arching his spine in a stretch.

"Thor wants to."

"Thor's a bloody twit."

"What happened? You used to be all right, I've heard," Steve asked.

Loki sat up, face drawing closed to become difficult to read. "I lived in his shadow. I didn't mean anything to him, was always seen as the weak one, the expendable one. Everything was my fault, Thor was the favorite son, and I endured more than a thousand years of Odin's thinly-veiled disappointment. You want to know what happened? He tied me to a goat. He sewed my mouth shut with magical thread. As punishment I was tied to a rock for a month, acid dripping down the ridge and onto my bare torso."

"Oh," Steve replied hollowly.

Loki moved his gaze back to him, eyes softening. "I loved Midgard. This realm is beautiful. I hated, however, the cruelty of the populus. I wanted to rule over them with as little casualties as possible in the beginning."

He crawled across Steve to rest himself on the blond's chiseled chest.

Steve responded by wrapping his arms around him, hands laced together, resting on Loki's belly.

"So it wasn't your fault?"

"Oh, on the contrary, I shouldn't have fallen from the bridge, so it was partially my fault."

Steve rolled his eyes affectionately.

"Clint will come around eventually. He has kids, he remembers what it was like," he said, nuzzling Loki's neck.

"That so? I think he believes until such time that I'm large, he can prowl around angrily and pretend I can fight back," Loki replied thoughtfully.

"He wouldn't dare."

"Would dare, wouldn't dare, it's all the same to me. I wasn't myself in New York, or even before then. I don't begrudge Thor or my fa- Odin - their actions."

Steve stilled. "What do you mean, you _'weren't yourself'_?"

Loki shifted uncomfortably. "What color were my eyes when you fought me in Germany?"

Steve had to think for a long moment.

He remembered Loki's face tilting up towards the glow of the streetlights, and then he remembered how shockingly blue they were, like they were freezing.

He turned Loki's face towards his, the light catching his vibrant emerald irises.

"You weren't in control," Steve stated.

Loki nodded. "I wasn't impervious to the power of the sceptre, Steven."

"How about just 'Steve', by the way."

" _Steve._ Better?"

"Worlds. Do you think JARVIS can prove that you weren't yourself?"

"What, the machine? If it's as intelligent as you all seem to think, then it's most probable."

Steve made a relieved noise into Loki's back.

"Now, _Steve_ , I demand that you sleep. I can't sleep when you're awake."

"Ever hear the term 'high-maintenance'?"

* * *

Bruce had just finished making pancakes with a rather funny consistency when they all got messages simultaneously from Fury about a terrorist with vibranium-plated-kamikaze-robots, and the relief was instant. They passes Bruce in quick succession, piling unused plates high. "There'll be time for pancakes later, Big Man," Tony said apologetically, patting his back.

Loki, unfazed, took a pile and retreated to a fat armchair.

Steve strode over to the armchair where he sat. "We'll be back in a few hours, probably. Don't... don't blow up New York, please?"

Loki rolled his eyes and smiled. "Fine. Your precious city will remain untouched."

"And don't fuck up my tower!" Tony yelled.

"I won't fuck up your tower!" Loki yelled back, good humor starting to vanish.

Steve left hurriedly after a chaste kiss.


End file.
